Door for multiple mail receptacles



July 2, 1929 c. H. GAFFNER ET AL 1,719,541

` DOOR FOR MULTIPLE MAIL RECEPTACLES Filed July 13, 1925 ATTORNEY lll Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT orifice.

CHARLES H. GAFFNER AND ELMER L. JONES, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

DOOR FOR MULTIPLE MAIL RECEPTACLES.

Application inea July` 13,

This invention relates to multiple mail receptacles| for apartmenthouses or the like and, more especially, to the receptacle doors.

The object of our invention is the provision of strong, efficient and conveniently regulated means whereby all of the mail receptacles "of a group thereof are readily accessible to the carrier for distr'ibuting mail therein, and the individual receptacles accessible only to persons entitled to receive their mail in the respective receptacles. l

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawing,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation, with parts broken away, f a group of mail receptacles to which is applied door devices en'ibodyingA our invention; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the frame of the master door illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 with one of the supplementary doors and its frame in place. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the wall of a building showing a modified construction of receptacles and'door devices; and Fig. 5 is a f ragmentaryfront elevation of Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral represents a cabinet intended for use in the wall of a building, said cabinet beine divided by partitions 11 into vertical spaces which, in turn, are divided by horizontal partitions 12 into compartments, such as 13.

For the open front of said cabinet is provided a door 14, hereinafter designated as the master door, whichl may be connected at one side'by means of hinges 15 to said cabinet or, as shown in Fig. 1. to a casing 1G which is rigid with the cabinet.

ln the opposite side of the door from said hinges it is provided with a lock 17 whose bolt/1S is engegeable in a keeper (not shown) which is provided within said casing.

The key for this lock is intended to be in thepossession of the postman or carrier, pern'iitting him to open the mastervdoor for distributing mail matter among the various compartments or boxes of the cabinet. Said master door is constructed of a rigid rectangular frame having side rails 19, 20, and top 4and bottom rails 21 and 22.

Said rails are desirably of angle bars to afford flanges 23 which are disposed in the plan@ the frontof the door, In practice 1925. Serial No. 43,127.

said door frame is preferably `of, steel, againstthe exposed-surfaces of which is a cover plate 24 of brass, bronze, or the like.

Provided within the door frame and rigid therewith is a Yplurality of vertically disposed bars 25 dividing the frame opening into spaces 26 (Fig. 3) which are disposed to be in front of the respective vertical rows connected at one side by hinges 30 to the associated frame 27 and provided with a lock indicated by 1 whose bolt 32 isadaptcd to engage within an aperture in the adjacent side rib element .35 of the respective frame 2i.

The keys for the locks of the box-doors are furnished to persons receiving mail matter therein. As illustrated, the supplementary frames 27 are formed to provide a facing33 te juxtapose against the front surface of the master-door frame vbars 25. The rib elements 35 extend into the spaces 2o of the master door to receive bolts or rivets 36 engaging in ,holes provided in the respective bars 25 of the frame of the master door.

In Figs. 4 and 5, is illustrated an embodiment of the invention applicable for use with a cabinet 101 included within a relatively thin partition wall WT of a building. Under such a condition the compartments 131 are arranged to have their maximumA lengths, as shown in Fig. 4, disposed vertically. The compartments are disposed preferably in a group comprising two horizontal .rows one above the other separated by a parand is provided with aV lock which is indicated by 17L Whose bolt engages in a suitable socket provided in the casing 161. The master door 141, like the aforesaid master door 14, has mounted therein supplementary frames 271 for the box=doors 291.l Each of the latter being hung on hinges 301 Whose key is carried by the person using the respective compartment.

The operation of the invention is as folauthorized persons are prevented from gaining access to mail not belonging to them.

What We claim, is,-

In combination, a master door lcomprising a main frame h ving a rectangular opening therein7 series of smaller frames disposed one above the other in said opening, spacing bars rigid with said main frame, the smaller frames of each of said series being held in spaced relation with those of the other series, means for securing the smaller frames to the main frame through the medium of said spacing bars, and doors for the openings of the smaller frames hingedly connected to the last named frames.

Signed at Seattle,v Washington, this 10thV 

